Word names (Catholic edition)

I’ve been digging word names related to the faith lately, like Tiber, Shepherd, Vesper, and Rosary. This may or may not be due to my frantic desire to add some unexpected names to our short list for our baby (if a boy), which I really just need to calm down about. !!! I read about a baby with the middle name Banner yesterday, inspired by Psalms 60:6 (“Raise up a banner for those who revere you”), and it got me all fired up again!

Anyway, I’d love to hear what Catholic word names you would add to this list! For both boys and girls, because I love making lists of girl names I like as well, even though we’re set with a girl name. Happy Saturday!

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44 thoughts on “Word names (Catholic edition)”

I can’t say I *love* all of these, but we have encountered (most as middle names): Chalice, Dulia (my hubby says, “Well, that’s thinking optimistically!” :P), Chrism, Gratia, and Trinity. I haven’t run into this personally, but my cousins’ neighbors have a little Missa…

Ázymos – Greek term for the unleavened bread used in the Western Eucharist
Balsam – an aromatic resin derived from the terebinth tree which is mixed with olive oil and then blessed as holy chrism
Canaan – the Promised Land
Canon – the Greek word means “measuring rod.” It came to mean a rule or standard. Brings to mind Canon law, canonization, and the Canon of the Mass.
Cantor – one who chants the Liturgy
Challoner – Dr. Richard Challoner revised the Douay-Rheims Bible in the 18th century
Chi-Rho – the monogram of the Greek letters Ch and R (looks like our X and P), which is an abbreviation for the Greek word for Christ. Pronounced like Cairo.
Chrisom – an old English word for baptismal garment
Cross – the instrument upon which Our Lord sacrificed Himself
Curé – St. John Vianney, Curé of Ars
Deacon – (or Greek Diakon) meaning “servant,” the second of Holy Orders
Deipara {better for a girl} – Latin translation of Greek Theotokos, “God-bearing one,” a title conferred upon the Blessed Virgin Mary at the Council of Ephesus, 431 A.D.
Douay – (an English college in France?) Where the English translation of the Old Testament was published in 1609
Eikon – (also icon) a religious image
Grail – the Holy Grail, the legendary vessel used by Christ at the Last Supper
Hymn {could make a lovely middle name for a girl} – a song honoring and praising God
Merit – the fruit of Grace
Mission – the work of the Church to propagate the Faith
Milan – the Edict of Milan in 313 A.D. made Christianity a recognized and tolerated religion
Pastor – Jesus, the Good Shepherd
Terce or Tierce – third hour of the Divine Office
Way – Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life

I think I’d be more likely to go with Revere than Banner for that quote! Great meaning in so many ways. Plus it has a shout out to my New England boy Paul. (Roundabout way to honor a Paul? A stretch but I’ve seen stretchier…)

More favorites are usually virtues tbh: Mercy, Honor, Merit, Charity, etc. Some exceptions – if Domingo and Dominic can be names, why not Sunday? And “blue” or sky names to honor Our Lady (Indigo, Lake, Azul, Azure, Sky/e).

“I’ve seen stretchier” — totally!! And Sunday is a name! It’s in my book! Under the entry Dimanche — the French word for Sunday, after Our Lady of Dimanche. Also, Nicole Kidman has a daughter named Sunday! Blue’s also an entry in my book, I like how you think!

I feel like a jerk for saying this, but there’s a boy who goes to our public school named Ransom. I always disliked his name because I never put together that it might just be Biblical! Same with Justus. Those still don’t feel like a good fit for us (should we be blessed again), but they’ve taken a new luster to me!

Some of these aren’t English words, but I think they’re mostly recognisable as word names for people familiar with the Catholic church (some of them are not exclusively Catholic, though).They’re not necessarily my style, but they feel like they could work as names for some families:

I’m a Missa! Quite frankly, I’m surprised that it’s not a more common name in Catholic circles. I haven’t had many experiences where people (Catholic or not) think it sounds unusual, but it is still very very Catholic-y. I do pronounce it Miss-a not Mees-a, which may make it less “authentic” to some Catholics, but the sentiment is the same to me.

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"Choose your names in a joyful way. / Think of the Saints and holy things, / And then just watch how your heart sings / When the name meant for you to choose / Comes to your mind, as you do muse!"
~ name wisdom from my Mom, an Irish poet

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